FFXIV’s hidden story of an orphaned child

Square Enix’s MMO, Final Fantasy XIV, prides itself on telling some great stories, but some stories are hidden, one such hidden story is that of a young orphaned Miqo’te child.

The story takes place in Idyllshire beside the town’s fountain where if you are lucky you will spot a young Miqo’te girl (a Miqo’te is a cat person) sitting by herself, as you approach her she says, “Mama and Papa… They still haven’t come back.” As she finishes talking, a yellow carbuncle appears beside her in an apparent move to keeps her company. While this can be taken as a child waiting for her parents to return, travelling to the back of Idyllshire and approaching two workers has one NPC say, “There’s a poor girl what weeps by the fountain every night…” The NPC’s line hints at something bad happening to the girl, but what could it be. The answer to this question is found outside of Idyllshire.

Leaving Idyllshire and entering its neighbouring zone of The Dravanian Hinterlands, you can stumble upon the level 58 FATE “Sun Bear, Sun Bear, What Do You Eat.” The FATE itself is straightforward, as you just need to kill Sun Bears. However, what makes this FATE relate to the child is the description of the FATE.

“It is said that once a sun bear acquires a taste for the flesh of man, it will eat nothing else. Two missing Miqo’te lovers who were last seen in the Answering Quarter─an area now overrun with violent sun bears─suggest that taste has already been acquired.”

While it isn’t a 100% fact, the FATE could be referring to what happened to the child’s parents. It seems when her parents left Idyllshire for some unknown reason they were killed and presumably eaten by Sun Bears. To make matters worse no one seems to have the heart to tell the young girl that her parents have died, and so the young girl spends her nights sitting by the fountain waiting for her parents to return.

What makes this story interesting is the fact that there is no quest surrounding it, it is simply something that exists to flesh out the world. Maybe in future patches we could see the young girl’s story continue, hopefully, we will see someone willing to tell her the truth and offering some support.

My character keeps an eye on the poor child.

The story of the orphaned child is not the only known organic story in Final Fantasy XIV, as there is another story revolving around two lovers from separate noble houses who have fled Ishgard in an effort to stay together. It is a very much a Romeo and Juliet inspired story, but let’s hope their romance doesn’t end the same way.

Of course, the harrowing and interesting stories in Final Fantasy XIV aren’t just found by randomly stumbling into NPC conversations, as the game has a few main and side story quests that can be just as harrowing and interesting. As a person who has played Final Fantasy XIV for over two years, I highly recommend trying out this MMO.